Various devices and methods are available to women who wish to enhance the appearance of their breasts. Generally, women can either undergo a surgical procedure to be fitted with breast implants, or can use some form of externally worn article to enhance the appearance of their breasts. To accommodate women wishing to avoid the dangers involved with surgical breast implants, several efforts have been made to provide externally worn articles that have the look and feel of natural breasts, yet are non-permanent and health-risk free. Such externally worn devices have included a wide range of foam pads, push-up bras, and gelled breast inserts to be worn between the user's breasts and a bra.
A key feature of such an externally worn article is that it look and feel natural so as to complement and not detract from the existing female breast that it is used to enhance. In addition to enhancing an existing breast, externally worn articles are designed to replace a female human breast that has been surgically removed. Externally worn articles that can be worn for the purpose of either enhancing or replacing human breasts are referred to as breast forms, and include a wide range of breast enhancers, breast inserts, and breast prostheses. A popular type of breast form has been made from a silicone gel material that is completely encased by plastic film material. The advantage of this type of breast form is that it looks like a natural human breast when worn and feels natural to the user, thus enhancing the self image and confidence of the user. Other breast forms, such as foam pads, water-filled pads and the like, may not afford the user these important qualities but, rather, may look unnatural and feel foreign.
In addition to the demand for devices and methods for enhancing breast size and shape, there is also a demand for being able to use those devices and methods while wearing a full-range of clothing. For example, women wearing a backless dress or a halter top will not want to wear a traditional bra. As a result, bras and breast form systems have been developed that are both backless and strapless. Such backless, strapless bras and breast form systems have used non-permanent adhesives, such as a disposable double-sided tape or a layer of adhesive, to secure the bra or breast form to the user. Backless, strapless bras and breast form systems having a layer of adhesive may inhibit the ventilation of air and/or moisture from the user's skin, which may result in excessive user perspiration and may lead to skin irritation. Additionally, manual application of a layer of adhesive to the bra cup or breast form may require the use of a barrier film to prevent the adhesive from soaking through the materials of the bra cup or breast form. The presence of the barrier film may further inhibit ventilation of the user's skin and further contribute to excessive perspiration and skin irritation. As a result, there is a need for a backless, strapless bra and breast form system that can be made without a barrier film and that can allow for ventilation of the user's skin.